It is Time To Pursue Master’s as a Hobby

For a while now, I have been debating within myself as to whether or not I should pursue a Master’s degree. I am worried that in the event my heart and my mind reach a consensus in favor of a Masters, I will be overburdened with indecision; which discipline should I rest my hands and mind on? I am one of the ‘jack of all trades’ or better said, multitalented. I desire to gain valuable hands-on practical knowledge that will catalyze my multiple dreams and aspirations.

It becomes worse when I flip through profiles of self-made and ultra-successful billionaires who are enjoying the fruits of capitalism. Interestingly, some of these celebrated authority figures in their field of expertise dropped out of school to turn their passions into professions. It is then I begin to wonder, have I been cheating on myself all along? Was I subscribed to a system that limits how far my potential can go? I may be entitled to a few rights to boast of an undergraduate degree but I am not financially independent as I initially envisioned. My purchasing power is still below C-level (read see level).

There is a widespread claim by researchers that school holds you captive. I share this sentiment especially after reading Rat Race Escape Plan (2nded) by Andy Tanner. Not that school is entirely dysfunctional but dear Bored Of Education, so are we (Borrowed from Dear Bored Of Education lyrics by Propaganda). School exposes your mental realm to white collar slavery. Yes, it is slavery because firstly, most salaried people are still stuck in the rat race; they do not enjoy financial freedom. At the same time, they are deeply rooted in debt and well the taxman does not seem so forgiving or seem to be getting old enough to contract amnesia.

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I recently came to the realization that I am in my own financial roller coaster. Rich 12 days a year, broke the rest of the year. I hope you already figured out that there are major 12 pay days in a year. Others are on vacation as their money works for them. Additionally, their profiles are all over Forbes, CNN, YouTube and other notable publications. Loosely yet accurately said, such people hire experts like me and you to manage their money so that it can work for them. How inspirational!
One important lesson I have learnt from people who drop out of school is that they stop schooling but they never stop learning. They may have ditched the school system because it is not in line with their vision but they I repeat they never stop learning. I find it intriguing that the great brains of the century, the world’s top investors, leadership gurus, highly sought after consultants, publicists and billionaires have a stack of books which they are continuously reading. Not for entertainment mostly, but for personal growth and development. They read about and study market trends, leadership, and self-awareness among other unconventional topics. That I believe is what sets them apart from the rest of us and blends them with each other on the path towards success.

For some of us, when handed an encyclopedia, we read to entertain our transcripts which we will paint on the faces of our guardians and parents. No, it’s actually vice versa. We read to paint our transcripts and certificates which will entertain our guardians and parents. Not for vision but to please whoever is paying our school fees or be the first in the village to earn a ‘harambee’ degree. No wonder they refer to us as half-baked because we cannot stand the heat which in this case implies the pressure. Not external pressure but internal pressure to drive our ambitions beyond our expectations.
We pursue a Master’s or PHD purely to scale our career heights: which by and large is heralded as conventional wisdom but how about pursuing a Master’s purely for the joy of learning. On a light note, more or less like a hobby.

Drawing from the Science Of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles, when you pursue things from a creative edge rather than a competitive edge, the chances of success are higher, legitimate and long-lasting.

The other key lesson I have learnt from people who drop out of school to pursue their dreams is that they fiercely compensate with nothing short of success. They are probably aware that success is not a random act. One of the ways to manifest this awareness is to yearn and thirst for knowledge that increases you. Cultivate in yourself the desire to learn. The Bible says that my people are perishing for lack of knowledge. Feed your spirit with nuggets of wisdom and harness the power of knowledge.

While some of us are caught up in hash tag wars, others, some of whom were previously written off as colossal failures are burning the midnight oil. Soon enough, they will emerge as top leading professionals and top notch experts, eventually earning in their sleep. Sometimes, successful people are merely more curious than intelligent.

For now, I hope to make an authentic commitment to nurture my academic curiosity and use books as tools to nourish my soul and fork illiteracy out of my mind. Let’s meet in a boardroom or on a beach in future. In the meantime, let’s meet in the Library. What shall I get you to read?